Don't pick a research field because it appeals to your intellectual interests. Pick something with industrial demand, that you can also stand to study. Grad school is going to suck donkey asshole one way or another, you might as well be in demand when you get out.

Seriously. If you could go back in time to when you were 20, and tell yourself only three brief pieces of advices (1 brief sentence each), what would they be?

No cheating - you can't tell yourself to buy apple or short bear or whatever else. K?

You don't think the decisions (either right or wrong) have molded you into the person you are today?

No regrets, everything happens for a reason.

I think this is very true. I know plenty of people who followed all the rule, studied hard and met with great success who have shitty attitudes and are for various reasons unhappy and/or unsuccessful.

I'm no role model, but much of the mistakes and hard times I've had have shaped me as a person in good ways.

As to the OP: I'd go to therapy earlier. I had some stuff to work out that I waited far too long to take care of professionally. For all the mentions of saving money- I'd worry less about the financial stuff. I'd try to spend less on things like clothes and cars and spend it on experiences.

1. Do not be shy. Do what's on your mind.
2. Hit on every ridiculous hot girl you see. You will never ever see her ever again anyways.3. Spend money on experiences not merchandise.
4. Do not do things simply to please anyone, even family.
5. No dream is too small.

I like this.

Also - do a semester abroad - I know people who are doing it now and based on the amount of partying they are getting in - I am almost tempted to re-enroll in university just to get in on it.

1. Learn how to manage your time. You can have a 4.0 in a difficult major, party your ass off and have ton of friends, keep in shape, and be outside activities in college if you just figure out how to study efficiently and have the "don't waste time" attitude.
2. Stop watching sports unless you're hanging out with people. You can watch the highlights of baseball games, no need to sit through them. And it's not worth multi-tasking during them, you won't get anything done.
3. Don't try and be the white knight. If a girl is damaged, let her down easy and move on to one that's emotionally stable.
4. Don't play video games. They're a gigantic waste of time.
5. Don't buy so much stuff. You end up selling it all anyways and regret that you didn't go on trips or spend it on binge drinking.
6. Move to a city with good public transit and find a job with a short commute.
7. Don't live in DC. The women are AWFUL.
8. Travel internationally every year. No matter what.
9. Always be juggling a couple personal projects. Do things like reading a book a week, cooking a new meal every night, and something else you've always wanted to learn. The internet is a huge obstacle to doing stuff like this--if you get off it it's amazing what you can accomplish.
10. Before your second corporate job, take 3 months off and travel. You can tell your next employer it's something you always wanted to do and now you're fresh and ready to go. It's not like you lose all business knowledge once you go off for a little while.

Nothing is more sickening than realizing that hard work, discomfort, and time invested all turned out to be utterly fruitless. I invested seven years of my life down a career path that was stolen from me by the vindictive and egotistical motives of one fat, ugly, untalented, female I.T. manager (who knew absolutely nothing about I.T.).

Nothing is more sickening than realizing that hard work, discomfort, and time invested all turned out to be utterly fruitless. I invested seven years of my life down a career path that was stolen from me by the vindictive and egotistical motives of one fat, ugly, untalented, female I.T. manager (who knew absolutely nothing about I.T.).

1. Learn how to manage your time. You can have a 4.0 in a difficult major, party your ass off and have ton of friends, keep in shape, and be outside activities in college if you just figure out how to study efficiently and have the "don't waste time" attitude.
2. Stop watching sports unless you're hanging out with people. You can watch the highlights of baseball games, no need to sit through them. And it's not worth multi-tasking during them, you won't get anything done.
3. Don't try and be the white knight. If a girl is damaged, let her down easy and move on to one that's emotionally stable.
4. Don't play video games. They're a gigantic waste of time.
5. Don't buy so much stuff. You end up selling it all anyways and regret that you didn't go on trips or spend it on binge drinking.
6. Move to a city with good public transit and find a job with a short commute.
7. Don't live in DC. The women are AWFUL.
8. Travel internationally every year. No matter what.
9. Always be juggling a couple personal projects. Do things like reading a book a week, cooking a new meal every night, and something else you've always wanted to learn. The internet is a huge obstacle to doing stuff like this--if you get off it it's amazing what you can accomplish.
10. Before your second corporate job, take 3 months off and travel. You can tell your next employer it's something you always wanted to do and now you're fresh and ready to go. It's not like you lose all business knowledge once you go off for a little while.